A vendor needs to disclose any issues related to the property – for example, not having obtained a permit for works, he says.

Mystery shop them

It’s not about choosing the right agency, but rather, the individual agent within the organisation.

Starr Partners chief executive Douglas Driscoll says agents promote themselves on billboards, bus stops and ads in countless letter boxes among the pizza menus, but they can’t all be number one.

He says vendors should mystery shop and compare the handful of agents they’re considering.

“All of them have probably said the same thing, given them the CMA (comparative market analysis) report, shown them the nice glossy brochures, pictures of what the ad will look like and the sign board,” he says.

“If you’re choosing based on someone’s presentation skills, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a brilliant sales agent or they’re as hard working as the next guy.”

Mr Driscoll says sellers should attend the agent’s open for inspections, call them and pose as a buyer.

Where possible, call other vendors who are currently selling with the agent for a reference, he says.

“There are some standouts who will sell more than others, but that doesn’t necessarily always mean they’re the best person for the job, or get you the very best price.”

Interview the agent

Vendors should interview a handful of agents who are experts in the area.

Real estate trainer at Industry Training Consultants George Rousos says agents should have a “business management” mentality rather than a ‘salesman’ mentality, and good legal knowledge.

Agents need to provide a high level of customer service, he says, and have good risk management.

To assess whether the agent has those qualities, Mr Rousos says, vendors should find out what their systems are for marketing and negotiating.

Vendors need to ask agents ‘what are you going to spend my money on in terms of marketing’, and ‘what are the processes that you use to achieve the desired outcome for a home owner’, he says.

Vendor Advocacy Australia’s Ben Reid recommends asking agents how they can tap into more qualified buyers than their competitors, and how their marketing strategy is different to others.

Vendors should ensure they have the best auctioneer in their company, he says, and look at the systems they’re using to manage their buyers.

“Are they just taking names and numbers at the front door and putting it in a note pad? Or have they got a good CRM (customer relationship management) now that matches buyers with vendors?”

Have good rapport

When Trudy Biggin, of Biggin and Scott, asked one of her clients why they chose her as an agent, they told her “we liked you, and we had a connection with you”.

Ms Biggin says the vendor also felt she was trustworthy, and that she loved her job.

The brand of the agency is also factor, but it isn’t everything.

Ms Biggin says the vendor chose her not because she is from Biggin and Scott – the company doesn’t have the biggest presence in the bayside region – but because she is Trudy Biggin.

“So I have to win it on my personality, and my actual rapport with them,” she says.

Ask lots of questions

Ms Biggin says prospective sellers should ask whether agents have been speaking to many buyers this year, and how their auctions went late last year.

“Those sorts of questions will make an agent talk about their experience,” she says.

“And from those conversations, you will be able to determine how busy and successful they’ve been.”

Vendors should also ask if the agent will be managing the campaign as opposed to their personal assistant.

Comparable sales

Mr Reid says most agents who are valuing the property at a very high price, not justified by comparable sales, are just trying to get the business.